The next Chatham Artist Guild exhibit going up at the Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro is Vangi Cathcart's delicate sumi paintings hanging alongside the strong realism of Jane Eckenrode's oil paintings. The two artists put the show together themselves, selecting pieces that explore this contrast and different ways of seeing nature.

April 5 through May 31 - Reception: Sunday, May 4, 4 - 6 p.m. There will be plenty of snacks and refreshments on hand, and lots of beautiful art to look at. For directions, go to http://carolinabrewerypittsboro.com/ and click on Directions.

Moncure Fire Department Open House

Visit the Moncure Fire Department on Saturday, April 5, at Station 8, Pea Ridge Road and Old US 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lunch served at 11:30 a.m. under the supervision of Kevin Stone -- BBQ Pork Plate $8, Hot Dog Plate $5, Drinks $1.
Come meet our fire department staff and learn about services we provide the community-- such as the installation of child passenger seats for vehicles, smoke detectors and much more. Sparky the Fire Dog will attend as our special guest. Games will be provided. Special demonstrations will be given on fire extinguishers, vehicular extrication and others.

18th Bi-annual Carrboro CD and Record Show

Sunday, April 6 from Noon till 6 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center: Century Hall (2nd floor) at 100 North Greensboro St.
(Intersection of Greensboro Street with Main & Weaver Streets.) 40 tables of new & used CDs, vinyl records and music memorabilia
Free admission For info: 919.260.0661 or email Musical_roots@bellsouth.net or www.musicalroots.net.

Take a Hike

Sunday, April 13 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Wetlands Restoration at Pittsboro’s Town Lake Park - Discover “Pittsboro’s Hidden Treasure”, a 36 acre park with lakes and trails near downtown Pittsboro. Our guide will be Dr. Karen Hall with NC State University, who will talk about the wetlands restoration project in the impoundment area of Robeson Creek at Pittsboro’s Town Lake Park. Register for this free tour by calling 919.545.8044.

Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to Noon: Geological Hike in the Jordan Dam Area - Join Phil Bradley with the NC Geological Survey on a guided hike along portions of the Poe’s Ridge Game Land Trail in the B. Everett Jordan Dam area. Register for this free trip by calling 919.545.8044.

Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance

The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will hold its 12th annual spring festival from Thursday, April 17 to Sunday, April 20, 2014. The festival will feature more than 50 bands and performers on two big outdoor stages, a large Dance Tent, and an intimate Cabaret Tent. Located on 72 beautiful farmland acres at 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road in Silk Hope, just down the road from Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham, Burlington, and Greensboro. The festival also features local crafts, delicious food, various children’s activities, healing arts practitioners, dancing and music workshops, environmental sustainability forums, and much more in a family-friendly setting. More info at http://www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org.

Festival tickets are on sale now and available by phone and at www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org/tickets-info. Four-day passes are $100 in advance (through April 14) and $110 at the gate. Youth 4 -day passes are $55. Kids 12 and under are FREE! Day passes are $28 (Thurs), $38 (Fri), $48 (Sat), and $28 (Sun). Youth prices (13-15) are $14, $19, $24, and $14. Tent camping is $15 per tent and vehicle camping is $60 in advance and $75 at the gate.

Piedmont Farm Tour

The 19th annual Piedmont Farm Tour, sponsored by Weaver Street Market, happening April 26-27 from 2-6 p.m. both days, will feature 39 local, sustainable farms. This self-guided tour features working farms throughout the Triangle in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Person counties.

Tour tickets, good for both days, are $25 per vehicle in advance. Tickets are available for purchase during the tour for $30 or you can also choose to pay $10 per farm (available for purchase at all of the farms during the tour). Groups of cyclists count as one vehicle. No pets are allowed. The tour is rain or shine. Proceeds from the tour support CFSA. Tickets can be purchased online now at http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/pft.

The tour is self-guided. Choose the farms you want to visit on the interactive map or downloadable brochure at http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/pft/ to plan your tour. Visit any farm in any order. Bring a cooler so that you can bring home some of the farm fresh products for sale at many farms!

The 39 farms and gardens on the tour are:

Avillion Farm

Benjamin Vineyards & Winery

Boxcarr Farms

Braeburn Farm

Captain John S. Pope Farm

Cedar Grove Windy Hill Farm

Celebrity Dairy

Chapel Hill Creamery

Coon Rock Farm

Cooper-Lasley Farm

Cozi Farms

Dancing Pines Farm

Eco Farm

Farm Boy Farms

Fickle Creek Farm

Flat river nursery and farm

Four Leaf Farm

Granite Springs Farm

Harland’s Creek Farm

Herb Haven

Maple Spring Gardens

Millarkee Farm

Minka Farm, LLC

Perry-winkle Farm

Pine Knot Farms

RambleRill Farm

Screech Owl Greenhouses

Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm

The Student Farm at CCCC

The Winery at Iron Gate Farm

Timberwood Organics

Transplanting Traditions Community Farm

Turtle Run

Two Chicks Farm

W.C. Breeze Family Farm Agricultural Extension and Research Center

Waterdog Farms

Wild Hare Farm

Windy Acres Farm

Woodcrest Farm

The Local Roots Craft Festival in Carrboro

The Local Roots Craft Festival, a new outdoor community event, will take place at 300 East Main Street in Carrboro, on Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, which celebrates local creativity, is the first collaborative effort of neighbors The ArtsCenter, WomanCraft, Cameron’s, Amante Gourmet Pizza, Fleet Feet, Hickory Tavern, and The Hampton Inn & Suites, Carrboro/Chapel Hill. There is no admission fee to attend.

The ArtsCenter will organize the centerpiece of the event, a craft fair with 25 local artists offering jewelry, pottery, knitwear, accessories, soaps, candles, toys, baked goods, and lots of unique, affordable items for all ages. The festival will also offer hands-on craft activities for all ages and live demonstrations by local artists, as well as a trunk show, face painting, a dunking tank with public figures, and food vendors. All proceeds from the vendors’ booth fees support scholarship for low income students to attend ArtsCenter programs. The ArtsCenter is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and laying the groundwork for the next 40 years.

WomanCraft will participate in the Local Roots Crafts Festival with art and crafts at the main site, as well as on the sidewalk outside their adjacent shop, and a live artisan demo. WomanCraft, founded in 1972, is an all-local self-sustaining co-op of more than 70 artisans, offering fine handcrafted jewelry, pottery, art, fabric art, clothing, art glass, and more. Cameron’s will host a trunk show of designs by Angelrox where 10 percent of the sales will go to The Peru Project, a local non-profit supporting literacy, education, and the arts in Peru. They will also have a face painter on site beginning at 12:30 pm. Cameron’s, founded in 1976, is a gallery of gifts, jewelry, cards, clothing, bath items, toys, and unique designs.